Anglian Water Hardness: 200-400+ ppm by Postcode (2026)

Anglian Water Water Hardness Summary

Anglian Water water is very hard, averaging 321 ppm as calcium carbonate, ranging from 255 to 394 ppm across 261 postcode districts in East of England & East Midlands.

Average hardness	321 ppm (Very Hard)
Hardness range	255 to 394 ppm
Classification	Very Hard
Districts served	261
Region	East of England & East Midlands

Average hardness

321 ppm (Very Hard)

Hardness range

255 to 394 ppm

Classification

Very Hard

Districts served

261

Region

East of England & East Midlands

About Anglian Water

Anglian Water supplies water to over 4.8 million customers in the east of England, one of the driest regions in the UK. The chalk and limestone geology of East Anglia means the water is among the hardest in the country.

At 321 ppm on average, Anglian Water ranks as very hard water. See how it compares across the UK in our 50 hardest water areas ranking.

Worth reading: our water softener guide compares the options for Anglian Water customers, and our limescale removal guide has quick fixes for kettles, taps, and boilers.

Cross-check this against Anglian Water's own data: Anglian Water water hardness report. Read the hard water explainer then use the linked postcode checker to confirm if you are in a hard water area; the region averages very hard.

Anglian Water vs Other UK Water Companies

Average hardness across the 15 largest UK water suppliers, hardest first. Your supplier is highlighted.

Rank	Water company	Avg ppm	Classification	Districts
1	Anglian Water	321 ppm	Very Hard	261
2	Thames Water	302 ppm	Very Hard	412
3	South East Water	297 ppm	Hard	17
4	Affinity Water	268 ppm	Hard	32
5	Southern Water	263 ppm	Hard	131
6	Portsmouth Water	261 ppm	Hard	34
7	SES Water	239 ppm	Hard	7
8	Wessex Water	231 ppm	Hard	123
9	Severn Trent Water	222 ppm	Hard	345
10	Yorkshire Water	215 ppm	Hard	217
11	Northumbrian Water	101 ppm	Slightly Hard	122
12	South West Water	80 ppm	Slightly Hard	129
13	United Utilities	77 ppm	Slightly Hard	242
14	Welsh Water (Dwr Cymru)	68 ppm	Slightly Hard	214
15	Scottish Water	54 ppm	Soft	3

Areas Served by Anglian Water

Every postcode district, sorted by hardness.

Postcode	Town	Hardness	PPM	Level
CM19	Harlow	394	394 ppm	Very Hard
CM18	Harlow	393	393 ppm	Very Hard
IP33	Bury St Edmunds	393	393 ppm	Very Hard
CM17	Harlow	392	392 ppm	Very Hard
IP32	Bury St Edmunds	392	392 ppm	Very Hard
NR19	Dereham	392	392 ppm	Very Hard
CM16	Epping	391	391 ppm	Very Hard
IP31	Bury St Edmunds	391	391 ppm	Very Hard
NR18	Wymondham	391	391 ppm	Very Hard
CM15	Brentwood	390	390 ppm	Very Hard
IP30	Bury St Edmunds	390	390 ppm	Very Hard
NR17	Attleborough	390	390 ppm	Very Hard
CM14	Brentwood	389	389 ppm	Very Hard
NR16	Norwich	389	389 ppm	Very Hard
CM13	Brentwood	388	388 ppm	Very Hard
NR15	Norwich	388	388 ppm	Very Hard
CM12	Billericay	387	387 ppm	Very Hard
NR14	Norwich	387	387 ppm	Very Hard
CM11	Billericay	386	386 ppm	Very Hard
NR13	Norwich	386	386 ppm	Very Hard
LN9	Horncastle	385	385 ppm	Very Hard
NR12	Norwich	385	385 ppm	Very Hard
LN8	Market Rasen	384	384 ppm	Very Hard
NR11	Norwich	384	384 ppm	Very Hard
LN7	Market Rasen	383	383 ppm	Very Hard
NR10	Norwich	383	383 ppm	Very Hard
LN6	Lincoln	382	382 ppm	Very Hard
LN5	Lincoln	381	381 ppm	Very Hard
LN4	Lincoln	380	380 ppm	Very Hard
LN3	Lincoln	379	379 ppm	Very Hard
LN2	Lincoln	378	378 ppm	Very Hard
SG9	Buntingford	378	378 ppm	Very Hard
LN1	Lincoln	377	377 ppm	Very Hard
SG8	Royston	377	377 ppm	Very Hard
SG7	Baldock	376	376 ppm	Very Hard
SG6	Letchworth Garden City	375	375 ppm	Very Hard
SG5	Hitchin	374	374 ppm	Very Hard
CB25	Cambridge	373	373 ppm	Very Hard
SG4	Hitchin	373	373 ppm	Very Hard
CB24	Cambridge	372	372 ppm	Very Hard
SG3	Knebworth	372	372 ppm	Very Hard
CB23	Cambridge	371	371 ppm	Very Hard
SG2	Stevenage	371	371 ppm	Very Hard
CB22	Cambridge	370	370 ppm	Very Hard
SG1	Stevenage	370	370 ppm	Very Hard
CB21	Cambridge	369	369 ppm	Very Hard
PE9	Stamford	367	367 ppm	Very Hard
CM9	Maldon	366	366 ppm	Very Hard
IP29	Bury St Edmunds	366	366 ppm	Very Hard
PE8	Peterborough	366	366 ppm	Very Hard
CM8	Witham	365	365 ppm	Very Hard
IP28	Bury St Edmunds	365	365 ppm	Very Hard
PE7	Peterborough	365	365 ppm	Very Hard
CM7	Braintree	364	364 ppm	Very Hard
IP27	Brandon	364	364 ppm	Very Hard
PE6	Peterborough	364	364 ppm	Very Hard
CM6	Dunmow	363	363 ppm	Very Hard
IP26	Thetford	363	363 ppm	Very Hard
PE5	Peterborough	363	363 ppm	Very Hard
CM5	Ongar	362	362 ppm	Very Hard
IP25	Thetford	362	362 ppm	Very Hard
PE4	Peterborough	362	362 ppm	Very Hard
CM4	Ingatestone	361	361 ppm	Very Hard
IP24	Thetford	361	361 ppm	Very Hard
PE3	Peterborough	361	361 ppm	Very Hard
CM3	Chelmsford	360	360 ppm	Very Hard
IP23	Eye	360	360 ppm	Very Hard
PE2	Peterborough	360	360 ppm	Very Hard
CM2	Chelmsford	359	359 ppm	Very Hard
IP22	Diss	359	359 ppm	Very Hard
PE1	Peterborough	359	359 ppm	Very Hard
CM1	Chelmsford	358	358 ppm	Very Hard
IP21	Diss	358	358 ppm	Very Hard
CM0	Burnham On Crouch	357	357 ppm	Very Hard
IP20	Harleston	357	357 ppm	Very Hard
IP9	Ipswich	355	355 ppm	Very Hard
IP8	Ipswich	354	354 ppm	Very Hard
IP7	Ipswich	353	353 ppm	Very Hard
IP6	Ipswich	352	352 ppm	Very Hard
IP5	Ipswich	351	351 ppm	Very Hard
IP4	Ipswich	350	350 ppm	Very Hard
IP3	Ipswich	349	349 ppm	Very Hard
IP2	Ipswich	348	348 ppm	Very Hard
IP1	Ipswich	347	347 ppm	Very Hard
PE38	Downham Market	341	341 ppm	Very Hard
PE37	Swaffham	340	340 ppm	Very Hard
PE36	Hunstanton	339	339 ppm	Very Hard
PE34	King's Lynn	337	337 ppm	Very Hard
SG19	Sandy	337	337 ppm	Very Hard
CB11	Saffron Walden	336	336 ppm	Very Hard
PE33	King's Lynn	336	336 ppm	Very Hard
SG18	Biggleswade	336	336 ppm	Very Hard
CB10	Saffron Walden	335	335 ppm	Very Hard
PE32	King's Lynn	335	335 ppm	Very Hard
SG17	Shefford	335	335 ppm	Very Hard
PE31	King's Lynn	334	334 ppm	Very Hard
SG16	Henlow	334	334 ppm	Very Hard
IP19	Halesworth	333	333 ppm	Very Hard
PE30	King's Lynn	333	333 ppm	Very Hard
SG15	Arlesey	333	333 ppm	Very Hard
IP18	Southwold	332	332 ppm	Very Hard
SG14	Hertford	332	332 ppm	Very Hard
IP17	Saxmundham	331	331 ppm	Very Hard
SG13	Hertford	331	331 ppm	Very Hard
IP16	Leiston	330	330 ppm	Very Hard
SG12	Ware	330	330 ppm	Very Hard
IP15	Aldeburgh	329	329 ppm	Very Hard
SG11	Ware	329	329 ppm	Very Hard
IP14	Stowmarket	328	328 ppm	Very Hard
SG10	Much Hadham	328	328 ppm	Very Hard
IP13	Woodbridge	327	327 ppm	Very Hard
IP12	Woodbridge	326	326 ppm	Very Hard
IP11	Felixstowe	325	325 ppm	Very Hard
IP10	Ipswich	324	324 ppm	Very Hard
SS9	Leigh On Sea	321	321 ppm	Very Hard
MK19	Milton Keynes	320	320 ppm	Very Hard
SS8	Canvey Island	320	320 ppm	Very Hard
MK18	Buckingham	319	319 ppm	Very Hard
SS7	Benfleet	319	319 ppm	Very Hard
MK17	Milton Keynes	318	318 ppm	Very Hard
MK9	Milton Keynes	318	318 ppm	Very Hard
SS6	Rayleigh	318	318 ppm	Very Hard
MK16	Newport Pagnell	317	317 ppm	Very Hard
MK8	Milton Keynes	317	317 ppm	Very Hard
SS5	Hockley	317	317 ppm	Very Hard
MK15	Milton Keynes	316	316 ppm	Very Hard
MK7	Milton Keynes	316	316 ppm	Very Hard
SS4	Rochford	316	316 ppm	Very Hard
MK14	Milton Keynes	315	315 ppm	Very Hard
MK6	Milton Keynes	315	315 ppm	Very Hard
SS3	Southend On Sea	315	315 ppm	Very Hard
MK13	Milton Keynes	314	314 ppm	Very Hard
MK5	Milton Keynes	314	314 ppm	Very Hard
SS2	Southend On Sea	314	314 ppm	Very Hard
MK12	Milton Keynes	313	313 ppm	Very Hard
MK4	Milton Keynes	313	313 ppm	Very Hard
SS1	Southend On Sea	313	313 ppm	Very Hard
LU7	Leighton Buzzard	312	312 ppm	Very Hard
MK11	Milton Keynes	312	312 ppm	Very Hard
MK3	Milton Keynes	312	312 ppm	Very Hard
SS0	Westcliff On Sea	312	312 ppm	Very Hard
LU6	Dunstable	311	311 ppm	Very Hard
MK10	Milton Keynes	311	311 ppm	Very Hard
MK2	Milton Keynes	311	311 ppm	Very Hard
LU5	Dunstable	310	310 ppm	Very Hard
MK1	Milton Keynes	310	310 ppm	Very Hard
LU4	Luton	309	309 ppm	Very Hard
PE29	Huntingdon	309	309 ppm	Very Hard
LU3	Luton	308	308 ppm	Very Hard
PE28	Huntingdon	308	308 ppm	Very Hard
LU2	Luton	307	307 ppm	Very Hard
PE27	St Ives	307	307 ppm	Very Hard
LU1	Luton	306	306 ppm	Very Hard
PE26	Huntingdon	306	306 ppm	Very Hard
CB9	Haverhill	305	305 ppm	Very Hard
PE25	Skegness	305	305 ppm	Very Hard
CB8	Newmarket	304	304 ppm	Very Hard
CO16	Clacton On Sea	304	304 ppm	Very Hard
PE24	Skegness	304	304 ppm	Very Hard
CB7	Ely	303	303 ppm	Very Hard
CO15	Clacton On Sea	303	303 ppm	Very Hard
NR35	Bungay	303	303 ppm	Very Hard
PE23	Spilsby	303	303 ppm	Very Hard
CB6	Ely	302	302 ppm	Very Hard
CO14	Walton On The Naze	302	302 ppm	Very Hard
NR34	Beccles	302	302 ppm	Very Hard
PE22	Boston	302	302 ppm	Very Hard
CB5	Cambridge	301	301 ppm	Very Hard
CO13	Frinton On Sea	301	301 ppm	Very Hard
NR33	Lowestoft	301	301 ppm	Very Hard
PE21	Boston	301	301 ppm	Very Hard
CB4	Cambridge	300	300 ppm	Hard
CO12	Harwich	300	300 ppm	Hard
NR32	Lowestoft	300	300 ppm	Hard
PE20	Boston	300	300 ppm	Hard
CB3	Cambridge	299	299 ppm	Hard
CO11	Manningtree	299	299 ppm	Hard
NR31	Great Yarmouth	299	299 ppm	Hard
CB2	Cambridge	298	298 ppm	Hard
CO10	Sudbury	298	298 ppm	Hard
NN9	Wellingborough	298	298 ppm	Hard
NR30	Great Yarmouth	298	298 ppm	Hard
CB1	Cambridge	297	297 ppm	Hard
NN29	Wellingborough	297	297 ppm	Hard
NN8	Wellingborough	297	297 ppm	Hard
NN7	Northampton	296	296 ppm	Hard
NN6	Northampton	295	295 ppm	Hard
NN5	Northampton	294	294 ppm	Hard
NN4	Northampton	293	293 ppm	Hard
NN3	Northampton	292	292 ppm	Hard
NN2	Northampton	291	291 ppm	Hard
NN1	Northampton	290	290 ppm	Hard
CM77	Braintree	288	288 ppm	Hard
CO9	Halstead	281	281 ppm	Hard
CO8	Bures	280	280 ppm	Hard
CO7	Colchester	279	279 ppm	Hard
NR9	Norwich	279	279 ppm	Hard
CO6	Colchester	278	278 ppm	Hard
NR8	Norwich	278	278 ppm	Hard
CO5	Colchester	277	277 ppm	Hard
NR7	Norwich	277	277 ppm	Hard
CO4	Colchester	276	276 ppm	Hard
NR6	Norwich	276	276 ppm	Hard
PE19	St Neots	276	276 ppm	Hard
CO3	Colchester	275	275 ppm	Hard
NR5	Norwich	275	275 ppm	Hard
CO2	Colchester	274	274 ppm	Hard
NR29	Great Yarmouth	274	274 ppm	Hard
NR4	Norwich	274	274 ppm	Hard
CO1	Colchester	273	273 ppm	Hard
NR28	North Walsham	273	273 ppm	Hard
NR3	Norwich	273	273 ppm	Hard
PE16	Chatteris	273	273 ppm	Hard
NR2	Norwich	272	272 ppm	Hard
NR27	Cromer	272	272 ppm	Hard
PE15	March	272	272 ppm	Hard
CM24	Stansted	271	271 ppm	Hard
NR1	Norwich	271	271 ppm	Hard
NR26	Sheringham	271	271 ppm	Hard
PE14	Wisbech	271	271 ppm	Hard
CM23	Bishop's Stortford	270	270 ppm	Hard
NR25	Holt	270	270 ppm	Hard
PE13	Wisbech	270	270 ppm	Hard
CM22	Bishop's Stortford	269	269 ppm	Hard
NR24	Melton Constable	269	269 ppm	Hard
PE12	Spalding	269	269 ppm	Hard
CM21	Sawbridgeworth	268	268 ppm	Hard
NR23	Wells Next The Sea	268	268 ppm	Hard
PE11	Spalding	268	268 ppm	Hard
CM20	Harlow	267	267 ppm	Hard
NR22	Walsingham	267	267 ppm	Hard
PE10	Bourne	267	267 ppm	Hard
NR21	Fakenham	266	266 ppm	Hard
SS17	Stanford Le Hope	266	266 ppm	Hard
MK46	Olney	265	265 ppm	Hard
NR20	Dereham	265	265 ppm	Hard
SS16	Basildon	265	265 ppm	Hard
MK45	Bedford	264	264 ppm	Hard
SS15	Basildon	264	264 ppm	Hard
MK44	Bedford	263	263 ppm	Hard
NN18	Corby	263	263 ppm	Hard
SS14	Basildon	263	263 ppm	Hard
MK43	Bedford	262	262 ppm	Hard
NN17	Corby	262	262 ppm	Hard
SS13	Basildon	262	262 ppm	Hard
MK42	Bedford	261	261 ppm	Hard
NN16	Kettering	261	261 ppm	Hard
SS12	Wickford	261	261 ppm	Hard
LN13	Alford	260	260 ppm	Hard
MK41	Bedford	260	260 ppm	Hard
NN15	Kettering	260	260 ppm	Hard
SS11	Wickford	260	260 ppm	Hard
LN12	Mablethorpe	259	259 ppm	Hard
MK40	Bedford	259	259 ppm	Hard
NN14	Kettering	259	259 ppm	Hard
LN11	Louth	258	258 ppm	Hard
NN13	Brackley	258	258 ppm	Hard
LN10	Woodhall Spa	257	257 ppm	Hard
NN12	Towcester	257	257 ppm	Hard
NN11	Daventry	256	256 ppm	Hard
NN10	Rushden	255	255 ppm	Hard

Products for Anglian Water Customers

Popular choices for households on very hard water.

Splendid Twin Tank Water Softener

From ~£400

Twin-tank electric softener sized for 1 to 7 bedroom homes. Removes limescale from pipes, boilers, and appliances and delivers continuous soft water, with metered regeneration to keep salt use low.

View on Amazon

Philips Shower Filter

From ~£30

A quick, affordable upgrade. Reduces chlorine and limescale at the showerhead, fits any standard UK shower hose in minutes. Protects skin and hair from hard water damage.

View on Amazon

Common questions about Anglian Water water hardness

How do I check Anglian Water hardness by postcode?

Enter your postcode in the checker on the WaterHard.uk homepage, or find your district in the table above. Anglian Water serves 261 postcode districts across East of England & East Midlands, ranging from 255 to 394 ppm.

Is there a Anglian Water hardness checker or map?

Anglian Water publishes water quality data by postcode, but it can be scattered across PDF reports. WaterHard.uk compiles it into the searchable table above so you can find your district's reading in one place.

How hard is Anglian Water water in my area?

It depends on your exact postcode. Anglian Water supplies range from 255 ppm to 394 ppm, averaging 321 ppm (very hard) across 261 postcode districts in East of England & East Midlands. Use the table above to find your specific district.

Do I need a water softener with Anglian Water?

At 321 ppm (very hard), many households on Anglian Water notice limescale in kettles and showerheads within weeks. A shower filter is the cheapest first step; a whole-house softener gives the most complete protection. See our water softener guide for a full comparison.

Anglian Water Hardness

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